Wrong
by DEACTIVEDUSER
Summary: Cathy's having a few drinks with the boys.What happens when she spills more than any of them ever wanted?-What if Cathy was with Pony but still loved Bryon?-Part TWT TIN and The Outsiders. R&R!


Disclaimer:I own nothing of SE Hinton's work.

/A.N/This is part That was Then, This is Now and The Outsiders.

R&R!

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I dragged Cathy along on my arm. She was a little tipsy and giggling. I'm not sure which surprised me more, that she was tipsy or that she ever drank. As we staggered up the front steps(with me thanking Up There that I didn't take the drink Terry offered)the door swung open and Two-Bit looked down on us, a grin splayed across his face. "Pony! You're back early.." he said, by way of greeting. "Cathy's drink got spiked." I explained and we both headed into the house. The living room was crowded but not like usual.(I still had a hard time about Johnny and Dallas, it still felt raw and painful every time I thought about them.)

Steve and Soda were playing cards and Darry was reading the paper like normal, cans were messily stacked on the table and I had a feeling it was Two-Bit's work. Steve looked at Cathy and gave me a smart-ass remark. He's been doing that ever since I started going out with Cathy. I ignored it and turned to Darry who gave me a disapproving frown and I hurried to tell him that it was just a spiked drink. Even though, me and Darry got along better now, sometimes its still like old times and he thinks I'm going out just to booze the night away. Not like I ever will, I've seen too much of what drinking can do. Just look at Johnny's folks. I left Cathy on the sofa with Two-Bit who was cracking open another can and took a shower. Parties always make me feel sticky all over which means I have to shower often ever since I met Mark. He was tuff, getting me into parties and stuff. Darry didn't like Mark and neither did Soda but they didn't understand, Mark made me forget sometimes about everything last year. It was sad to see him the way he is now.

Anyway ,I guess it was a mistake leaving Cathy with Two-Bit 'cause when I came back, I found her sobbing and hugging Two-Bit. Two-Bit looked uncomfortable, patting her slowly on the back.

"Wha-?" I started but then Darry explained Two-Bit gave Cathy a couple more cans. "Oh. That's okay then," I thought but then Cathy hiccupped loudly and slurred, "I don't know anymore. I'm just so mixed up. About Bryon and Mark and M&M and everything." she wailed.

I froze. I've never seen Cathy drink before , let alone get drunk. The boys were giving me sympathetic looks but I didn't care. I thought she was over Bryon already. She told me she was.

"I love Bryon, you know? I talked to him and he got it all. He was like everything to me. He was my first. Hiccup. First everything. I know I'm with Pony but I can't help it. I just can't forget Bryon and then, I remember what he did to Mark. For me. And my heart just breaks. They were like brothers, I tell you. I never liked Mark and he didn't like me any either. We always fought whenever Bryon left us alone. He said I was making his brother hate him and all these mean things about how I was changing him, giving him ideas. We fought real bad sometimes and once he nearly slapped me when I said Bryon didn't like him anymore than I did and he was just trying to louse us up. I regret that. And the truth is maybe he was right. But now, I'm not with Bryon anymore but I still love him but its too late, he look so sad all the time and its my fault. Everything's wrong and I can't make it right. He never used to look so sad. He used to smile all the time like he knew something he knew I wanted to know and I liked that. He kissed real good too. Said it was fine that I didn't know how to and that on me, it was cute. I don't think he thinks that anymore. But I can still hear him say he loves me during all those nights but I don't think he does anymore....and I wish sometimes I was still with Bryon and not with Pony but I'm not......"

Cathy stumbled over her words, struggling for raspy breaths.

What she said hurt me but I knew it hurt her even more. Cathy closed her eyes then and I just knew we had to break up. Maybe it would be sad but I think its for the better.

"Pony?" Darry asked carefully and I looked up to see everybody with the exception of a passed out Cathy looking at me.

"I'm okay, you guys." I forced a smile. Maybe it was for the better but I still don't feel very good about it. "It looks like we were both lying. We both weren't really out for much more than just each other."

It made no sense but we all got it. And as I looked Cathy, saw everybody's face, pitying me and felt my own strange detachment from all of this, I knew too that I didn't really love Cathy, not really. Not love. Something lesser. Even now, I don't know how I could have mistaken it for love. She loved Bryon and I didn't know if Bryon loved her back but I know I don't. I never did. She was just another girl I liked 'cause she was cute and had a bit more sense than the others but I didn't love her. Not really. Not like she clearly loved Bryon and not like that night I said it to just say something. Not really.

When I broke up with Cathy finally a few nights later,she asked me why and I don't know why but I said, "You love Bryon, not me." It was the truth and it didn't hurt anymore after all the thinking I've been doing the past few sleepless nights but I guess it hurt her 'cause Cathy gasped and backed away. I noticed she didn't deny it. I drove her back home and we didn't say anything the whole time and as I stopped at her house and she got out, she said softly, "I'm sorry,Pony." As I drove back home, I thought about all those past months of pretending for both us and felt sorry too.

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A/N: Now, really, Pony doesn't love Cathy so he's not in denial even if it sounds like he is. Just a piece I wrote after thinking about how it would be like if it turned out Cathy still loved Bryon while she was with Pony. So this is it. Hope you enjoyed it. Review now please! Its the second R of R&R!I edited the formatting,by the way, hopefully its easier to read now. :)


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